In the rap world, swagger is equated with state of mind.

Or, as 30-year-old producer Phillip "Big Phil" Hudson puts it, "It's how you personify yourself."

"If you're a go-to person, the person everybody wants part of, you're on to some grown man stuff," he says.

Over the last few years, Big Phil and his MAD Muzik Group affiliates, which include producers Darryle "Soopa" Crutcher, Mr. Mitch and Rickey G, have built a reputation based on plenty of swagger -- and delivered an abundance of hits to back up their talk.

Four months ago, they relocated their burgeoning studio set-up from a residential block in the Nutbush neighborhood to a sprawling professional space in Raleigh, transforming the third floor of an office building into a creative beehive that bustles with MCs and beat makers from noon until dawn.

At the New Daisy Theatre tonight, the MAD Muzik Group will showcase that swagger with a concert called "We Run Memphis."

The show, which begins at 9 p.m., will feature one of the originators of Memphis rap, Kingpin Skinny Pimp, alongside underground up-and-comers Zedzilla, Novakane and Young Trill. DJ Rock Steady and Baby Reggie P. will emcee.

"This is just one step in a long, long marathon," says Rickey G, a.k.a. 26-year-old Rickey Gathright, who recently produced a trio of tracks for Chicago-born Memphis-based rapper Novakane, including "Trapoholic," "Shawty Said," and "Ain't No Mo."

"When you do something you love, there's no time limit," adds Big Phil. "We don't rush anything. When you want it done right, you'll spend the extra hour, the extra minute, the extra day. We don't run a meat processing plant in here -- we run a garden. I've seen the growth in artists as they come through here, and I like to take the time to teach them if they're not laying that ad-lib, or not stacking the dubs right."

Big Phil has ample praise for all of the rappers who pass through MAD Muzik's doors. But in Zedzilla, he sees the potential for a monster crop that if properly nurtured can spread, like kudzu, across the south.

"He's got great stage presence, and his writing is something I haven't heard before," Big Phil says.

"I like the process, the criticism," said 23-year-old Zedzilla, who has six mixtape CDs under his belt.

"The hardest part for me is that I'm not naturally talkative," says the South Memphis rapper (real name: Lazarrick Chillis), who over the last decade has gone from being a street corner talent -- he started rapping with his first group, the Crooksters, when he was 13 -- to becoming a marquee name at venues such as Club Unity and Club Escape, as well as events like Crunkfest, which was held at the Mid-South Fairgrounds earlier this month.

"Most people don't believe it's me making the music. I'll be quiet until I hit that stage. There's something about it: I love performing. Then, when I get offstage, I go back to being myself," says Zedzilla.

Local promoter Sam "Two-Fifty" Johnson is another rap industry insider who believes in Zedzilla's talent.

"For a person who's had virtually no radio play to get that much credibility and love from the streets, it's amazing," says the 26-year-old Johnson, Zedzilla's behind the scenes partner. Johnson's determination to bring the street-wise rapper to a mainstream audience has already resulted in a new album, partially recorded at MAD Muzik, that is due for release next month.

Cultivating Zedzilla's natural gifts is just the tip of the iceberg, says Big Phil.

"When people hear about 'We Run Memphis,' some people are gonna say, 'Oh, he's being cocky,'" he concedes. "You have to emphasize the 'we.' It's not just Big Phil, Soopa, or even MAD Muzik. We want everyone in Memphis to cultivate, and we want everyone to strive to put out the best product possible to compete with the majors."

Citing recent successes like "It Is What It Is," a Kingpin Skinny Pimp and 8Ball collaboration, Big Phil says, "We might not have the bankroll (major labels have) got, but we do succeed."

From a perch behind the desk of his studio, which is crowded with computers, mixers, speakers, and keyboards, Big Phil gazes out the window and looks toward the parking lot below.

"There aren't any Benzes parked out front," he says.

Then Big Phil grins, his eyes twinkling. His next word is jam-packed with conviction.

"Yet."

For more information, go to MySpace.com/ 250IncMusic and MySpace.com/ ThaRealNovakane

Preview

MAD Muzik presents "We Run Memphis"

9 tonight at the New Daisy Theatre, 330 Beale St.; $10 cover.